So this year I am teaching an advisory for the first time. Six years in, teaching math only, and now I am learning how to work with student social-emotional growth…and I’m so excited!

Advisory for my school means 30mins, 4 times a week, with your 12-14 advisees. Mine are all 9th graders.

My school decided to fully adopt the StoryCorpsU curriculum for all freshmen advisories. (Which meant I had to go in early for two full days of training…) We had a very thorough training, but I have to say, I think it’s genius. The lessons are already planned out for me. Students get to listen to clips of actual NPR StoryCorps interviews, ones chosen specifically for high school kids. The students will also interview each other, interview me (yikes!), and finally record their own StoryCorps clip.

I think listening to and sharing stories is so simple but exactly what the students need.

Side note: A year ago the great Sam Shah and I recorded our own StoryCorps interview. I’ll have to dig that out and upload a clip or two on here…I think I might need help with this fancy technology…

I’m starting the curriculum in a week, but the two-day training (a bit longer than needed) definitely sucked me in. I’m already a fan of it. You can find some of the info on their website here: http://storycorps.org/education/storycorpsu. I don’t know anything about purchasing/adopting the curriculum, as my school took care of that part of it. One thing I do love is that all the lessons are thoroughly planned out for you (about 30 lessons), complete with audio clips from storycorps for students to hear and access to an online voicethread where students will eventually be recording their own stories (as well as recording comments/responses to each others’ stories!). I will post more after we get under way.